selves infected with the loathsome disease. Behold I am vile, says holy Job. Thou desirest truth in the inward parts, says David, the man after God's own heart; but behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Nay, it is the acknowledgement of holy men in general: We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?

This depravity is total and entire, diffusing itself through all the powers of the soul. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint. It is universal; involving all nations, both Jews and Gentiles- all ranks; the high and the low, the rich and the poor. Whatever difference there may be as to birth or blood, nobility or baseness, education, place or office; all flesh have corrupted their way. What nation, what tribe, what kindred, what family, what people or language can be produced, before or after the flood, under the law or under the gospel, who have escaped the direful infection? Happy were the man who could make the pleasing discovery.

Blindness in

The disease is likewise constant. the understanding, impotence in the will, disorder in the affections, are not visitants, but inhabitants. They are interwoven in our constitution. This fatal distemper is more deeply rooted than the

Ethiopian's sooty complexion, or the leopard's spots. Hence no ordinary means will take effect for the removal of it. The most awakening threats and thundering menaces, will not rouse us from our lethargy. The heart is stony, the neck an iron sinew, the brow brass. The most pathetic entreaties, and moving expostulations cannot entice the mind to close in with that which is absolutely necessary to its own solid peace and final happiness. Divine power alone can make the sinner willing.

2. Our natural depravity strongly bespeaks the necessity of our renewal by grace.--We must have a new and a better life than that we drew with our first birth. The stream will not rise higher than the fountain; nature can produce no more than that which is natural. If in our first birth we are children of wrath, what but a being born from above can make us the children of God? I know this remark will be deemed by some the cant of enthusiasm: but should the fear of incurring such a censure impose silence upon me, I should think myself unworthy of the christian name, and much more unworthy to sustain the sacred character of a minister of that Jesus, who has taught us all, that except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Unless a new heart be given to us, and a new spirit put within us, we shall ever be strangers to true christian meekness. The apostle of the Gentiles carefully informs us

that meekness is a fruit of the Spirit. The pruning of the branches is not sufficient; the tree itself must be made good. An outward reformation is not enough; we must be renewed in the spirit of our minds. Neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but a new creature. Grapes will not grow upon thorns, nor figs upon thistles. The ornaments of a meek and quiet spirit, which are in the sight of God of great price, are only found in him who is created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

To deliver us from the guilt, pollution and misery of our lapsed state was the end of our blessed Redeemer's coming into this world. He gave himself for our sins; he submitted to a state of poverty and meanness, to reproach and shame, to incessant labour and toil: he yielded and delivered himself up as a willing victim, into the hands of avenging justice, and was stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities; he was exceeding sorrowful, sore amazed, and very heavy; his heart melted like wax in the midst of his bowels; he was in an agony, and sweat great drops of blood falling down to the ground; he gave himself up into the hands of cruel and wicked men, and underwent the bitter pains and horrors of an accursed death; and all this, that he might make reconciliation for our iniquity, satisfy for our offences, and procure the full remission of

them all.

Without shedding of blood there was no remission; but we have redemption through the blood of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

With his stripes we are healed, says the evangelical prophet. He did not die for our sins that we should live in them, and under the power of them; but that he might free us from their tyranny, and release us from their captivity; that henceforth we should not serve sin. He was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil, reduce us to subjection to himself, reign in our hearts by his Spirit and grace, maintaining his throne there in righteousness, peace and joy. On this subject, reader, may your thoughts delightfully expand! Here is the remedy for all the evils which sin has introduced here is the destruction of sin itself, the cause, the direful, the fatal cause of all our woe: here is the sovereign cure for the disorders of your mind; the precious balm for a wounded conscience. This, this is all our salvation, and should be all our desire. Blessed Jesus, may we look to thee and be healed of all our maladies! We who have been foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another ; may we, as the happy consequence of thy atoning sacrifice, be saved by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost! Thus shall our angry passions, on account of which we are compared to lions and tigers, wolves and bears,

be all brought into subjection and obedience to thee! The lion shall become a lamb, the churl shall become liberal, and the fierce and furious be clothed with gentleness. Conquer by the omnipotence of thy grace, our perverse affections, and reign in us, that we may conquer and reign with thee. Let our rebellious powers hear thy voice, tremble and obey!

How astonishing is it that the wonders of saving love should so little engagé the attention of mankind. The salvation of a lost world has employed the thoughts and counsels of Jehovah from everlasting. At how many times, in how many different manners, did he speak of this subject unto the fathers? How many embassies of angels did He send to give intimations of it? How were all the designs of the Most High in the course of his adorable providence, and the execution of them, rendered subservient to this one glorious purpose, which rises superior to, and absorbs all the rest the plan of salvation by a Redeemer ! As if the great God had been carrying on no design from the beginning but one, a design of love to ruined men: that one, which of all others, these ungrateful creatures treat with the greatest slight, indifference and neglect. And shall that which thus occupied the Eternal Mind; to mature and execute which the world was created; which has been declared to man by so many signs in heaven above, and on earth beneath, by the tongues of so many prophets, by so many oracles; to an